Sheheen finding 2nd go at SC governor tougher

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Democrat Vincent Sheheen has faced an uphill struggle since deciding to run against Republican Gov. Nikki Haley again in 2014.

Sheheen lost the governor’s race by 60,000 votes to Haley in 2010. This year, he is struggling to get traction from voters who already know him and is fighting a fresh face in independent candidate Tom Ervin who is also bashing Haley and has similar views on the issues.

Citadel political scientist Scott Buchanan says it’s hard to run a rematch in a race because voters are likely to choose the same person again unless the incumbent has a big scandal.

But Sheheen isn’t quitting. He makes two to three campaign stops most days, hammering home a message that Haley is too ethically challenged to lead South Carolina again.